Modern Darling

2

She woke up to a banging. Tabitha figured that maybe it was her love-bird neighbours and she slammed on the wall beside her.

"Knock it off!" She shouted bitterly. Scratching at the roots of her coarse hair. She hated hearing how much sex the people next door were having. It was loud and obnoxious especially for eight in the morning, and frankly she was jealous.

Tabitha grabbed a pillow and screamed into it, she was aware that it was a bit of an overreaction, but Lilac had told her once that there was no such thing. That the concept of an overreaction when dealing with one's own emotions was simply a concept created by men to shame women about having any feelings at all.

BANG

"No!" The wall replied. She was taken aback, the wall never replied before.

"Oh." Tabitha computed, her heart pounding from the scare. "Okay... sorry."

Feeling mildly humiliated she headed to the bathroom. She skipped over the mirror completely, grabbing her toothbrush and sitting on the toilet seat. She replayed the sounds of the strangers voice over and over in her head, building it up in her head. Total. Overreaction.

Tabitha then crawled back into bed and shut her eyes. She hoped that she could sleep through the day and wake up just in time for her friend the moon to be back up. She thought of home to lull herself to sleep, she imagined a handsome man's car breaking down on the stone path that led there.

"Do you need any help?" She'd call out to him, jogging lightly down the street. She would look effortlessly beautiful, her hair would be half up-half down and she'd be wearing her favourite overalls, the one with the flower patches.

He'd get out from under the hood of his car to meet her eyes. His eyes would scan her and by the time his eyes locked he'd know she was the one for him.

"I actually do. I've been looking for my soulmate."

She'd blush, not that he'd be able to tell under the coffee tones of her skin.

"And here I thought the problem was with your car." Tabitha would flirt, thumbs finding their way back to the belt loops.

"Nope, it's definitely my heart. Come take a look."

Coyly, she'd walk over to the car, placing a hand on his heart so she could feel the beat.

BANG

"Are you SERIOUS!" Tabitha fumed, her eyes snapping open, the banging rusuming even more furiously than before. It had snapped her out of a pleasant day dream.

She heard the unfortunately familiar sound of her neighbours' moans through the wall and she assumed it would be over soon. Still, anger filled her tiny body as she pulled on a pair of fluffy socks Lilac's Mom had gifted her for Christmas.

This. means. war.

Tabitha headed into the living room. She clutched her phone so tightly her knuckles began to whiten and when she turned on the impressive sound system Lilac had left behind. She quickly opened her Spotify app to play Songs to Sing in The Shower. Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me flooded through the apartment.

"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset." Tabitha shout-sang at her ivry walls.

"YOU BELONG WITH ME!"

She swung her hips wildly and danced on top of every piece of furniture on sight. It felt good to think of her neighbours post-nut to include her shrilling voice. When the song was nearing conclusion she jumped as gently as she could back onto the ground.

"Shut the FUCK UP." The wall growled. Whoever the mysterious man was behind his voice was sharp and low. Tabitha imagined he was easily hatable. When she shut her eyes she saw the kind of face that was far too plucked and tweezed. The kind of face trying to mask his insecurity and the fact that just like the rest of us, he was once a chubby kid with braces. A man who asked "Did you cum?" After he did, and shouted at a totally justified neighbour through the wall.

The thought was oddly comforting to Tabitha and she felt a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. This had been the highlight of her day so far, and she chose not to dwell on the sad implications of that fact.

Her phone began to buzz interrupting the second chorus of Justin Bieber's hit Baby, and she was unsure if she was grateful or not. When she peeked at the phone screen and saw it was her Mother calling she put it on mute and threw her phone onto the middle cushion of her couch. Her stomach growled angrily at her and she shushed in rubbing circles into her belly.

"Shhh," she patted, moving into the kitchen.

BANG BANG BANG

"Oh ERIC," Tabitha heard, the mugs lining her wall shaking.

She rushed towards her favourite. A yellow mug with a hand painted daisy that wrapped around the fragile body. She placed it securely on the counter and took a sigh of relief before anger once again boiled to the surface.

"Eric." Tabitha repeated. The wall had a name. What a stupid name.